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Newly-opened hotel/resort on Palm Jumeirah managed by Accor

Th8 Palm has opened its doors to guests on Palm Jumeirah. The newest hotel under the SBE brand - the same group behind the city's SLS Dubai famed for its towering infinity pool and oversized rubber duck (a giant duck was also spotted at this new hotel) – Th8 Palm channels more of the same effortlessly cool vibes, this time with a Miami Beach twist.

Source: https://www.thenationalnews.com/travel/hotels/2021/11/17/first-look-th8-palm-opens-on-dubais-man-made-island-ahead-of-national-day-holidays/ and https://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/news/th8-palm-a-luxury-resort-by-accor-launches-in-dubai

Holiday Inn opening pushed to January 2022

The launch of Holiday Inn Resort Ho Tram Beach (pictured), a new hotel at the site of The Grand Ho Tram Strip casino resort in Vietnam, has been postponed to January 2022, the operator of the complex has told GGRAsia. That was because of travel restrictions linked to the Covid-19 situation in Vietnam, despite the new accommodation being ready to open.

In an emailed reply to GGRAsia, a property spokesperson said the new Holiday Inn tower was “ready to take guests,” however its launch was postponed “due to the current Covid-19 situation in Vietnam.”

Sources: https://www.ggrasia.com/grand-ho-tram-new-holiday-inn-hotel-now-jan-promoter/ and https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnresorts/hotels/us/en/vung-tau/vtght/hoteldetail and https://www.agoda.com/holiday-inn-resort-ho-tram-beach/hotel/vung-tau-vn.html?cid=1844104&checkIn=2021-11-23&los=1&travellerType=1

Another hotel opening soon on the island

Opening during the 75th anniversary of the InterContinental brand, the resort which is situated along the shores of the Arabian Sea, will be headed by General Manager Mohamed Mahmoud. With over 20 years experience at IHG Hotels & Resorts, this is Mahmoud’s third hotel opening, having previously opened resorts in Saudi Arabia and Fujariah.

Sources: https://www.zawya.com/mena/en/story/InterContinental_to_open_resort_in_RAK_with_new_team-SNG_259651097/ and https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/ras-al-khaimah/rktha/hoteldetail

Status update

Several major projects in Kuwait, including islands development, the Silk City, and the rail network, are lagging behind due to the Coronavirus pandemic and other factors, a newspaper in the OPEC member has reported.

Two multi-billion-dollar projects for the construction of the Silk City and the development of five island have not even got off the ground with 'zero execution rate' it said.

Source: https://www.zawya.com/mena/en/projects/story/PROJECTS_Key_Kuwait_projects_lag_behind_report-ZAWYA20210425052709/

Al Wasl Dome, the heart of Expo 2020, at night. Absolutely stunning! Amazing work by Christie Digital.

Campus Germany from the inside. Most informative and educational pavilion in my book. And the most fun to go through, from start to end!

Wow, the hype is definitely real.

Disney recently announced that Galactic Starcruiser will open March 1, 2022. Now, however, just a few weeks after that announcement, Galactic Starcruiser is already booked solid through at least June 22.

Source: https://www.travelawaits.com/2710345/disney-galactic-starcruiser-resort-booked/

Anybody knows what happened to The Grove? It probably never took off because of the pandemic. The area is closed off and there's no construction.

When the 25-acre resort adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center finally reaches the finish line, the city will have 3,700 new hotel rooms and more than 550,000 square feet of new convention space in its inventory. The 67-floor hotel tower will also offer a collection of restaurants, shops, and pools, as well as nightlife options and a spa.

Source: https://www.meetingsnet.com/destination-venue-news/fontainebleau-las-vegas-comes-full-circle

Luxury penthouse in Atlantis The Royal Resort & Residence sold for $17.4m

Metropolitan Premium Properties has sold a four-bedroom penthouse at Palm Jumeirah’s Atlantis The Royal Resort & Residence for AED64 million ($17.4m).

The 8,300 sqft property, which features uninterrupted views of the Palm and has its own swimming pool, was sold to a European national.

Source: https://www.arabianbusiness.com/money/money-wealth/money-wealth-real-estate/luxury-penthouse-in-atlantis-the-royal-resort-residence-sold-for-17-4m?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=arabianbusiness_newsletters&[email protected]

Originally Posted by Guest

Any chance anyone got photos of Mexico pavillion?

I'll drop by on my next visit!

DoubleTree by by Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island Residences has just opened!

The DoubleTree by Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island Residences opened its doors today, making it Abu Dhabi’s first DoubleTree by Hilton property.

Developed by Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading curator of magnetic experiences, the hotel was developed to meet the requirements of longer stay bookings, families, and business travellers staying on Yas Island.

Providing flexible hospitality options and offering a ‘home away from home’ experience, guests can choose from 156 apartments, comprising a mix of studio-, one-, two- and three-bedroom accommodation options, that cater to every need. Featuring a full range of facilities, including spacious bathrooms, a separate wardrobe area, interactive TV, a fully equipped kitchen, microwave, washer/dryer, free WiFi and separate living room for all suites, each room has been designed with comfort and convenience in mind.

Source: http://www.tradearabia.com/news/TTN_389815.html

More pictures of Expo pavilions from the outside

The WB Abu Dhabi, the only hotel by Warner Bros, has opened its doors in the UAE.

The sleek five-star hotel is replete with nods to Warner Bros films and TV shows such as Harry Potter, Westworld, Superman, The Wizard of Oz, Looney Tunes and many others.

Part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, the six-storey hotel's rooms are all themed with guests sleeping in either The Vault rooms, featuring rarely-seen memorabilia; Script to Screen rooms which highlight famous films and TV shows from over the years; or Artist Confidential suites that showcase talents from behind and in-front of the cameras.

The 257-room hotel is just steps away from Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi and guests staying at the hotel get free tickets to the theme park.

Source: https://www.thenationalnews.com/travel/hotels/2021/11/12/worlds-first-warner-bros-hotel-opens-in-abu-dhabi/

Dubai's business conditions hit two-year high in October on Expo 2020 boost

The recovery in tourism as flights resumed was a key factor behind the upturn, as visitor numbers surged amid the opening of the Expo 2020 in October 1, according to the companies surveyed.

Source: https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/2021/11/09/dubais-business-conditions-hit-two-year-high-in-october-on-expo-2020-boost/

Originally Posted by Guest

Is the expo getting emptier now?

Attendance is lower than in October?

Hmm, I don't believe so. I think it's gonna get even busier this month because the weather is cooling down and we have another long holiday coming up. With that being said though, I usually visit on a weekday morning-- no crowds or long queues (as can be seen in some of my photos).

KSA Pavilion was very futuristic and just overall visually appealing. Would have liked to go in depth into the Saudi heritage and culture but it was just a visual exhibit and nothing more.

Morocco Pavilion has one of the best pavilion layouts at Expo 2020. The attention to detail is very impressive. Every single exhibit is strikingly different from the other yet it makes for a very cohesive experience overall. One of my personal favorites.

In the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2020, they had an installation which showed old photos of the UAE and I was pleasantly surprised to see a photo of the Volcano Fountain there

The UAE Pavilion was an amazing experience. The long queues are well worth the wait.






Inside the pavilion they replicated actual sand dunes (you can actually touch the sand) and the exhibit heavily focused on UAE in the older days, the present, and the future that they envision. It was very inspirational!

Went to the construction site of The Island by Wasl and I got to take some construction photos from the public beach and mall nearby:

The infamous UK Pavilion. The message displayed is constantly changing and is generated by AI from visitors who contribute their own words. Very cool!




And if you’re wondering what it looks like inside:



If you're overseas and won't be able to visit and would like to see something specific at Expo 2020, please let me know! I will likely visit every week or every other week until I've gone through all pavilions.

Expo 2020 was brilliant, but very tiring especially on weekends. Best advice is to go on a weekday as soon as gates open. Took photos of some of the pavilions, but most of them only from the outside as queues were very long especially for the more popular pavilions.

Germany Pavilion:


China Pavilion:


KSA Pavilion:


Switzerland Pavilion:


Belarus Pavilion:


Venezuela Pavilion:


Portugal Pavilion:


Philippines Pavilion:


Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion:



More photos to come!

The opening date for Warner Bros. Hotel has been announced through the official Facebook page of Miral!

We're excited to announce the opening date of our long awaited hotel, The WB Abu Dhabi on November 11 2021!

Source: https://www.facebook.com/106619127443076/posts/595813495190301/?d=n

Warner Bros. Hotel and DoubleTree Residences seem really close to being finished. There were boxes being brought in, and a crane out front by the main entrance.